Agenda, decisions and minutes

None were made.

None were made.

Submissions agreed by the Overview & Scrutiny Business Panel were considered as part of Item 10.

Submissions agreed by the Overview & Scrutiny Business Panel were considered as part of Item 10.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Health, Well-Being and Older People, Councillor Chris Best, and

the Chair of the Select Committee, Councillor John Muldoon, the Mayor

agreed that the proposed response be approved for submission to the

Healthier Communities Select Committee.

The report was introduced by Councillor Chris Best and a representative of

the Executive Director for Customer Services. The Mayor was also addressed

by Councillor John Muldoon who said he was very pleased with the proposed

response.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Health, Well-Being and Older People, Councillor Chris Best, and

the Chair of the Select Committee, Councillor John Muldoon, the Mayor:

RESOLVED that the proposed response be approved for submission to the

Healthier Communities Select Committee.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Health, Well-Being and Older People, Councillor Chris Best, and

the Chair of the Select Committee, Councillor John Muldoon, the Mayor

agreed that the proposed response be approved for submission to the

Healthier Communities Select Committee.

The report was introduced by Councillor Chris Best and a representative of

the Executive Director for Community Services. The Mayor was also

addressed by Councillor John Muldoon who said he was delighted with the

proposed response.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Health, Well-Being and Older People, Councillor Chris Best, and

the Chair of the Select Committee, Councillor John Muldoon, the Mayor:

RESOLVED that the proposed response be approved for submission to the

Healthier Communities Select Committee.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Children & Young People, Councillor Paul Maslin, the Mayor

agreed that the proposed response be approved for submission to the

Children & Young People Select Committee.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Children & Young People, Councillor Paul Maslin, the Mayor:

RESOLVED that the proposed response be approved for submission to the

Children & Young People Select Committee.

Having considered an officer report, the Mayor agreed that the views of the

Public Accounts Select Committee be received and the Executive Director for

Customer Services be asked to provide a response.

Councillor Kevin Bonavia welcomed the report adding that it was very timely

given that no recourse to public funds was a significant budget pressure.

Having considered an officer report, the Mayor:

RESOLVED that the views of the Public Accounts Select Committee be

received and the Executive Director for Customer Services be asked to

provide a response.

Having considered an officer report, the Mayor agreed that the views of the

Children & Young People Select Committee be received and the Executive

Director for Children & Young People be asked to provide a response.

Having considered an officer report, the Mayor:

RESOLVED that the views of the Children & Young People Select Committee

be received and the Executive Director for Children & Young People be asked

to provide a response.

Having considered an officer report, the Mayor agreed that the views of the

Children & Young People Select Committee be received and the Executive

Director for Children & Young People be asked to provide a response.

Having considered an officer report, the Mayor:

RESOLVED that the views of the Children & Young People Select Committee

be received and the Executive Director for Children & Young People be asked

to provide a response.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Resources, Councillor Kevin Bonavia, the Mayor agreed that:

(i) a Council Tax for 2015/16 of £1,060.35 be recommended for the Council’s

element. This is an increase of 0%, based on a General Fund Budget

Requirement of £246.224m for 2015/16.

(ii) Council be asked to note an overall reduction in the total Council Tax for

2015/16 of 0.29% to include the Greater London Authority (GLA) precept

being reduced by £4 to £295, a 1.3% reduction from its 2014/15 level as

proposed;

(iii) Council be asked to approve the statutory calculation of the Budget

Requirement for Lewisham for 2015/16, attached at Appendix A;

(iv) the Council be asked to approve the motion on the budget, attached at

Appendix B;

(v) the provisional and estimated precept and levies from the GLA and other

bodies be noted;

(vi) the final settlement figure of £160.017m announced on the 3 February be

which is an increase of £0.677m on the provisional settlement figure be noted;

(vii) the impact on the budget gap of savings decisions taken by Mayor and

Cabinet on 11 February 2015 as detailed be noted;

(viii) the overall implications of the increased settlement figure and the savings

decisions which resulted in a net revised Budget requirement figure of

£246.224m, and a revised savings gap of £9.960 (to be met from the New

Homes Bonus reserve and General Reserves) creating a net decrease

of £0.477m in the amount of reserves required to fill the potential budget gap

as reported in the Budget report on the 11 February and as detailed be noted;

(ix) the absence of responses from Business rate payers to the consultation

on the draft Budget which took place from 20 January 2015 to 3 February

2015 be noted;

(x) the Section 25 Statement from the Chief Financial Officer attached at

Appendix D be received.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Resources, Councillor Kevin Bonavia, the Mayor:

RESOLVED that:

(i) a Council Tax for 2015/16 of £1,060.35 be recommended for the Council’s

element. This is an increase of 0%, based on a General Fund Budget

Requirement of £246.224m for 2015/16.

(ii) Council be asked to note an overall reduction in the total Council Tax for

2015/16 of 0.29% to include the Greater London Authority (GLA) precept

being reduced by £4 to £295, a 1.3% reduction from its 2014/15 level as

proposed;

(iii) Council be asked to approve the statutory calculation of the Budget

Requirement for Lewisham for 2015/16, attached at Appendix A;

(iv) the Council be asked to approve the motion on the budget, attached at

Appendix B;

(v) the provisional and estimated precept and levies from the GLA and other

bodies be noted;

(vi) the final settlement figure of £160.017m announced on the 3 February be

which is an increase of £0.677m on the provisional settlement figure be noted;

(vii) the impact on the budget gap of savings decisions taken by Mayor and

Cabinet on 11 February 2015 as detailed be noted;

(viii) the overall implications of the increased settlement figure and the savings

decisions which resulted in a net revised Budget requirement figure of

£246.224m, and a revised savings gap of £9.960 (to be met from the New

Homes Bonus reserve and General Reserves) creating a net decrease

of £0.477m in the amount of reserves required to fill the potential budget gap

as reported in the Budget report on the 11 February and as detailed be noted;

(ix) the absence of responses from Business rate payers to the consultation

on the draft Budget which took place from 20 January 2015 to 3 February

2015 be noted;

(x) the Section 25 Statement from the Chief Financial Officer attached at

Appendix D be received.

Having considered an officer report, a written submission from UNISON, and

presentations by the Chair of Overview & Scrutiny, Councillor Alan Hall and

the Cabinet Member for Resources, Councillor Kevin Bonavia, the Mayor

agreed that:

(i) the reassurances given to the Mayor regarding the restructuring of

Enforcement and Regulatory services be accepted; and

(ii) the proposal for restructuring Enforcement and Regulatory services,

Saving H1, as appended be approved.

The Mayor was addressed by Councillor Alan Hall who introduced the written

representation on the savings package agreed by the Overview and Scrutiny

Business Panel the previous evening.

Councillor Hall referred to the following specific savings:

N1 Parks, Highways and Management Costs – on behalf of the Business

Panel he welcomed the additional review on the non-management elements

so an assessment could be made as to how this would work in practice.

O1 Discretionary Freedom Pass – the Business Panel fully supported the

decision not to proceed with this saving.

A6 Breast Feeding Cafes – the Business Panel sought clarification regarding

the impact of this saving.

L4 Broadway Theatre – the Business Panel raised the following concerns:

(i) the need to investigate alternative funding.

(ii) provision of options for management functions and service provisions that

are not too risk averse, and could yield better gains.

(iii) a robust marketing strategy should be put in place.

(iv) had the BME impact been fully considered.

(v) consideration of the creation of a member led working group to investigate

all options for the future of the Broadway Theatre.

(vi) the Deputy Mayor and relevant officers be asked to explain the status of

the Catford Regeneration scheme.

(vii) a clear and comprehensive report be provided for Business Panel and the

relevant Select Committees on the Catford Regeneration Scheme.

In response the Mayor indicated:

A6 Breast Feeding Cafes – The Executive Director for Children & Young

People indicated UNICEF accreditation would still be achieved for the whole

borough. Councillor Best added she would be meeting the Director of Public

Health the next day to confirm.

L4 Broadway Theatre

(i) the Mayor said he could accept the recommendation but until such time as

alternative funding was secured, the saving would be taken and a reduced

programme would have to be offered.

(ii) & (iii) the Mayor believed these recommendations could be brought

together in the formulation of any robust marketing strategy.

(iv) the Mayor stated this had been fully considered but would be kept under

ongoing review.

(v) the Mayor said he believed a member group could be of some value and

he would consider the best way to progress the suggestion, as long as any

group created began with a complete briefing encompassing the long history

of the theatre.

(vi) the Mayor received advice from the Deputy Mayor who said TfL were to

make a presentation to officers within a few days on a Masterplan for the

area.

(vii) the Mayor said the update from the Deputy Mayor would make it possible

to prepare a briefing in the near future.

The Mayor next considered details of saving H1 in a supplementary agenda

and a representation submitted by Unison. He sought advice from the Cabinet

Member for Resources, Councillor Kevin Bonavia, and from the Executive

Director for Community Services representative. They confirmed the Unison

concerns about a possible inability to deliver various statutory requirements

were fully addressed in the report.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 154.